I Have Finally Learned Whom I Should Not Vote For

I have a serious announcement to make here. Please bear with me for a few minutes to know exactly what I am up to.

I have been fed up with being a passive political analyst for almost the last one and a half decades. I understand the nuances of politics and how politicians influence our daily lives.

Some people fall into the trap of political sycophancy, while others like me remain intellectual and passive political analysts.

Unlike others, I don’t want to come on TV debates and bash another political party just to suit the narrative of the media or say what the anchor wants to hear. Nor do I want to hide my viewpoints under the garb of ideology.

As a passive political analyst, I am either supportive of whoever does good for the nation and its people or completely against anyone who does, or even dares to think, badly about our nation and its people.

Why I Refuse to Become a Political Mouthpiece

I have a very clear-cut agenda. I have nothing to hide, no one to support, and no one to hate. I am free and independent. I don’t blindly support anyone, nor do I blindly oppose anyone.

You can’t mould me to suit the convenience of a narrative or ideology, even when knowing very well that a particular narrative or ideology is wrong.

I will continue to remain a passive political analyst because the right to freedom of expression and speech can sometimes feel like either a joke or something that I cannot fully exercise simply because I don’t share a dais with top politicians, have contact numbers of top lawyers, or even have the money to fight cases or legal battles.

I have seen how messengers can be castigated and made scapegoats in political battles.

In light of this, I want to say it outright that politics should not be reduced to perception, as many politicians suggest. For me, it ultimately comes down to a simple question of right and wrong.

So, from my experience, I have learned that after so many years, even if I haven’t learned whom I should vote for, as that might sound overwhelming, I have at least learned whom I should surely not vote for.

I Judge Politics by Right and Wrong

I never supported Nazi Germany for whatever world-conquest ambitions it had. I have always criticised the US and UK for historical policies and actions involving colonial violence and mass atrocities, some of which have been described as genocidal. I also condemn the US for its ongoing military actions involving Iran.

At the same time, I have always vouched for democracy, freedom of choice, human rights, and the welfare of one and all.

Every political battle must be fought based on people’s welfare, not just for the sake of it. The opposition should take up people’s issues because when the ruling dispensation was in opposition, they also did the same thing, or probably will do the same thing in the future.

So, be humane, be wise, focus on your self-growth, and don’t unnecessarily get yourself dragged into the never-ending loop of who is right and who is wrong. That’s something that you will never know, and it remains a mystery to me to this date.

In Conclusion

So, I am happy being rational yet apolitical and being intellectual without any political affiliation towards any political party. I also don’t blindly follow any ideology.

Just because I don’t say bad things about anyone specifically here or cite more examples does not mean I support them. A wrong is wrong, and I condemn violence and wrongdoing of all kinds in politics, particularly when those actions somehow affect the daily lives of people, whether today or tomorrow, in India or anywhere else in the world.

(By Atish Home Chowdhury)